A TWO-YEAR-OLD girl in Bacolod City died of suspected dengue on September 7, bringing the city’s total deaths this year to six, Dr. Grace Tan, head of the City Health Office’s Environmental Sanitation Division, said.
Tan said the girl, from Purok Active, Barangay Mandalagan, suffered on-and-off fever and one episode of postprandial vomiting. She received interventions for vomiting and sought consultation before being admitted to a hospital on September 7, but she did not survive.
Tan added that dengue cases in Bacolod have decreased by 42.3 percent from January 1 to September 6 compared with the same period in 2024. Records show the city has logged 811 dengue cases with six fatalities so far this year.
The fatalities include a four-year-old boy from Barangay Villamonte, a 64-year-old man from Alijis, a 42-year-old woman from Mansilingan, a six-year-old girl from Handumanan, and a five-year-old boy from Vista Alegre.
During the same period last year, the city recorded 1,406 cases and three deaths.
Of Bacolod’s 61 barangays, Mansilingan leads with 86 cases, followed by Taculing with 65, Estefania with 51, Vista Alegre with 50, Tangub with 49, Alijis with 43, Villamonte and Mandalagan with 41 each, and Sum-ag and Singcang-Airport with 36 each.
Tan said dengue continues to affect all ages and genders through bites from female-infected mosquitoes. For those showing symptoms such as fever or flu-like illness, she advised early consultation and treatment.
She also reiterated the importance of the Department of Health’s “4S” strategy: search and destroy mosquito breeding sites, use self-protection measures such as wearing long sleeves and applying mosquito repellent, seek early consultation, and support fogging and spraying efforts.
The Bacolod City Council earlier urged the CHO and all barangays to intensify prevention campaigns against dengue, leptospirosis and influenza amid the rainy season.
Councilor Caesar Distrito, who authored a resolution, said the onset of the rainy season increases the risk of vector-borne and waterborne diseases, posing serious threats to public health.
“This resolution is about saving lives. Dengue, leptospirosis and influenza are preventable diseases. If we intensify information drives, cleanup campaigns and early detection measures, we can significantly reduce infections and avoid overwhelming our hospitals,” Distrito said. (MAP)
